Indexing device



Dec. 5, 1961 J. B. VILMERDING INDEXING DEVICE Filed Aug. 26, 1958 INVENTOR JOHN B. V/L MERD/NG BYW HIS A TO Y M' 3,011,613 United States Patent O ice md De, 5, 6,

3,011,613 INDEXING DEVICE John B. Vilmerding, Owego, N.Y., assignor to Ingersoll- Rand Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Ang. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 757,344 Claims. (Cl. 193-43) This invention relates to an indexing device, and more particularly to an indexing device for elements having dissimilar ends.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for arranging elements having dissimilar ends in a predetermined endwise position.

Further objects will become obvious from the following specification and drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a front view, partly broken away for illustrating purposes, embodying a preferred form of the invention and showing a bolt 1in one endwise position,

FIG. 2 embodies the central portion of FIGURE l showing the bolt of l1i=IGUlitl l in its opposite endwise position, and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIGURE l taken along the line 3-3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings -and rst to FIGS. 1 and 2 which show an element l having dissimilar ends being positioned in a predetermined endwise position by an indexing device 12. In order for this device 112 to be operable the ends of the element 10 must differ, however, this difference may be slight and such difference may be in size, shape, etc. In the preferred form of the invention, the device 12 is adapted to index a cap bolt 10 having a threaded end and an enlarged cap at the opposite endthereof. l

v The device 12 includes achute 14 for conveying bolts 10 in an endwise direction, and a member 16 adapted to receive a bolt 10 and engage the same in such a manner that when said bolt 10 leaves said member I16 it leaves in -a predetermined endwise position. The device 12 further includes actuating means, in this case an air operated plunger 18, adapted to urge the bolt 10 out of contact with said member =16 and means, in this case a channel member`22, cooperatively associated with the member 16 toV insure that when a given end of the bolt 10 is engaged by the member -16 it leaves said member 16 in the same endwise position it was received by such member 16. -In the preferred form of the invention this occurs when the cap end of the bolt 10 is engaged by said member 16, as shown in FIG. l.

' To properly index the bolt -10 when the threaded end of the bolt 10 is received by said member 16, it is turned end for end so that when it is discharged from the member 16 the cap end is the leading portion as shown in FIG. 2.` Therefore, regardless of the end engaged by'the member 16, the bolt 10 is oriented by the device 12 in an endwise position with the cap thereafter being the leadingrportion of said bolt 10.

f After the bolt 10 has been indexed it is urged, in this instance by gravity and guide means, into a member 24.

The member 24 in this form of the invention is a chute,

but may be a rotatable member, such as -a rotatable feed through socket similar to the one shown in U.S. patent application, Serial' No. 677,287.

Referring to the detailsof this particular embodiment of the invention, the device 112 vis housed in a vertically positioned frame 26 having a chamber 28 located-in the central portion thereof. The` frame 26 furtherincludes a longitudinal passage 30 open to the, upper por:v tion of said chamber -28 and-open at the opposite end-to surface 55.

the chute l14, and a second longitudinal passage 32 open to the lower portion of said chamber 28 and adapted to receive an end of the chute v24 and bolt 10. To prevent the chute 14 from extending into the passage 30, a auge 33 on the lower end of the chute 14 abuts the periphery of the frame 26. The member 16 is secured to the frame 26 in the chamber 28, being held in spaced relation with respect to the passages 30 and y32, and being in alignment with passage 30. The longitudinal axis of the passage 32 is displaced to one side of the member 16 so that when a bolt 10 leaves said member 16 the passage 32 will receive it.

The frame 26 also includes two removable plates 34 and '35 which define the front portion of the passages 30 and 32 and the chamber 28. "The inner ends of these plates 34 and 35 define a longitudinal channel 36 which permits access to the passages 30 and 32 and the chamber 38. In FIGS. land 2 the plate 35 is shown partly broken away `to give a clearer picture of this device, however, the plates 34 and 35 are mated to prevent the bolt 10 from falling out of the frame 26 in the forward direction.

An air motor 38 is attached to the right side of the frame .26 (as seenrin FIG. 1) being designed to actuate the air operated plunger 18. This motor 38 includes a casing 40 having a chamber 42 which houses a reciprocatory pisto1:1.44. The plunger 18 lis attached to said piston 44 extending through the frame end 46 of the casing 40 and into the frame chamber 42. Interposed between the frame end 46 of the casing 40 and the piston -44 is a spring 48 which constantly urges the piston 44 away from the trame 26, thereby urging the plunger 18 in the same direction. A conduit 50 connected to the opposite end 52 of the casing 40 intermittently conveys air under pressure yfrom a suitable source (not shown) to the chamber 42 to intermittently actuate the plunger 18. These pulsations of air are timed with respect to the reception of -a bolt 10 by the member 16 so that said plunger .18 can urge the bolt 10 from the member 16 at the proper time.

The member 16 includes a shelf 54 having a surface 55 exposed to the frame passage 30, a flat vertical plate 56 attached to the side 58 of said shelf 54 having a portion 57 thereof extending above the shelf surface 55, and a guide block 60 integral with shelf '54 and opposed to the plate portion 57. This block 60 has a guide surface 62 angularly displaced with respect to the vertical axis of the member 16. 'I'he lower portion of the guide surface 62, the shelf surface 55 andthe plate portion 57 deiine a groove 64 wider at the top than at the bottom thereof. The groove `64 is adapted to receive the threaded end of the bolt 10 and reject the cap end of such bolt 10. This is accomplished by limiting the breadth of the groove 64 so that when the enlarged cap of the bolt 10 is presented to the groove 64 it can not enter.

The channel member 22 in the preferred form of the invention is an integral part of the `frame 26 and has legs 72 and 74 that define a hollow 76 therebetween. The leg 74 serves as a means for preventing a bolt 10 frorngfalling from the member r16 in the direction away from the passage lv2 regardless of the end of the bolt 10 engaged by the member 16. This is clearly shown in FIG. 2. On the other hand, the leg 7.2, which is of shorter lengthuthan the leg 74, is only utilized when the bolt cap or head is engaged by the member 16; In addition, the engaging surface 73Y of the leg .7-2 is closer to the top surface 68'of the plate 56 than to the shelf The indexing device operates as follows. A bolt 10 is' conveyed in an endwise position by the chute 14 to the member .16. I-f the bolt y10 is, conveyed to the member 16 with the cap being the foremost portion, it is guided toward the groove 64 by the' block guide Asurface 62. .Howeveig since the groove 64 is not wide enough 3 for the cap the top surface 68 of the plate 56 and a portion of the guide surface `62, engage the cap holding it out of the groove 64. In such instance, the threaded or free end of said bolt `extends into the channel hollow 76. The plunger 18 is Ithen actuated to urge the bolt 10 out of engagement with the member 16 causing the bolt 10 -to slidably move in a sidewise direction away from thev member 16 until the free end of the bolt 10 is engaged by the surface 73 of the leg 72. At such time the cap end continues to slide, however, -the threaded end being engaged no longer slides. This causes the cap end to pivot about the engaged portionof said bolt 10 until thecap is clear of the member 16, at which time the bolt 10 falls freely into the passage 32.

If the 'bolt 10 is conveyedto the member 16 with the threaded end being the foremost portion, said bolt 10 drops into the shelf groove 64, being guided thereinto by the guide surface 62. The lbolt cap or free end is below the leg 72 and when the actuating plunger 18 moves the bolt 10, the cap end rotates relative to the engaged threaded end. The bolt 10 continues to rotate moving the threaded end out of the groove 6,4 and along the guide block surface 62 now pivoting about the topl surface 68 of the plate portion 57. This continues until the bolt 10 is positioned with the cap end being the leading portion thereof. At such time the bolt 10 falls clear of the member 16 and into the passage 3,2.

While have shown and described a specific form of my invention, it is to be understood that various vchanges and modifications may ybe made without departing from the spiritV of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An indexing device for screws or the like having a small end and a large end, comprising a chute for conveying a screw in an endwise direction, a first member having a recess in the form of atrough in cross section positioned to receive said screws, said mem-ber having a first surface defining the bottom of said recess dimensioned to support the small end `of said screw, said recess having two opposing upstanding sides of which one side is provided with 'a second surface positioned in elevated relation to said first surface to support the large end of the screw, the other side'of said recess having a third surface positioned to guide either endk of said screw towards said first surface and second surface when said screw is conveyed to said member, said sides of said recess cooperating with each other to prevent said large end to engage said first surface and to prevent sidewise movement of said small end of said screw when said small end is supported by said first surface, and retaining means cooperating with said first member so that when said screw is conveyed with the large end directed t-o said member the small end of the screw is held by'said'retaining means against sidewise movement when said large end of the screw is supported -b-y said second surface, and, when said screw is conveyed with the small end directed to said member said large end of the screw is permitted to be disengaged from said retaining means when said small end of the screw is supported yby said first surface,V

and means to urge said screw out of engagement with said member andY said retaining means. p Y A 2.. The device claimed in claimV 1 in which saidretaining means includes a member having a projection extending towardsisaid first member and cooperating with said` surfaces r-to` effect engagementof said projection with the small end .of said screw when the large end of the screw v is supported by said second surface, Vsaid projection dimensioned to prevent engagement with the large Aend ofthe screw when, the small end ofthescrew is `supported by 'saidfirst-surface. Y v. s. Y i 3'. An indexing jdevice for screws orthe like having aY small `end and a large end, comprising a chute for conveying a screw in an endwise direction, a first member in the form of a trough in cross section to receive said screws having a first surface defining the bottom of said trough dimensioned to support the small end of said screw, said trough having two upstanding sides of which one side is provided with a free end -defining a second surface positioned in elevated relation to said first surface to support the large end of the screw, the other side of said trough defining a third surface positioned to guide either end of said screw towards said first surface and second surface, said sides of said trough cooperating with each other to prevent said large end of said screw to engage said first surface and to prevent sidewise move- -ment of said small end of said element when said small end is supported by said first surface, a second member positioned in spaced relationship to said'first member and cooperating with said first member so that when said screw is conveyed to be positioned with said large endof the screw in engagement with said second surface the small end of the screw is held by said second member against sidewise movement, and, when said screw is conveyed to be positioned with said small end of the screw in engagement with said first surface said'large end of the screw is permitted to be disengaged yfrom said second member, and means to urge saidv screw out of engagement with said members. Y

4. An indexing device for screws or the like of the type having onerend smaller than the other end, comprising a chute to convey a screw in an endwise direction into said device, a supporting member to receive and support either end of such screw having a trough shaped recess positioned to receive the small end of said screw within said recess and to support the small end of said screw on the bottom of said recess, said recess having opposing upstanding sides positioned to cooperate with each other to prevent reception of the large end of said screw within said recess and to prevent sidewise movement of said small end of said screw when said small end is on the bottom of said recess, one of said sides positioned to guide either end of said screw towards said recess when said screw is conveyed to said member, the other of said sides having a free end defining a supporting surface in elevated relationl to the bottom of said recess and positioned to cooperate with said one of said sides to support the head portion of said screw, a retaining member vertically spaced from said supporting member having projections cooperating with said member to hold the small end of said screw against sidewise movement when the large end of Asaid screw is supportedby said supporting surfaceand to permit sidewise movement of said Alarge end of said screw when the small end of said screw -is supported on the bottom of said recess, and means to urge said screw in such sidewise direction out of contact with said members.

5. An indexing devicekfor elements having a small end and a large end, comprising a chute for conveying such an element in an endwise direction, cooperating means to receive and hold an Velement discharged from said-chute and adapted to cause such element to be turned end for end when dischargedtherefrom if received in one endwise position and if received in, the other endwise positiontomaintain the-same endwise position when discharged therefrom, and means for urg-` ing the element Vfromsaid cooperating means in a prede'- termined direction, said cooperating means including a pair of members spaced vertically from each other, the lower member being in the form of Aa'ftrough in Vcross section to receive said elements having a first supporting surface dening the bottom of ysaid ,troughfto SuppQrt the-small end of said element, Vsaid `trough/having two upstanding sides of which oneside is provided Vwith a free j :end defining a second. supportingsurfaceipositioned in elevated relation to said first supporting surface to sup- 5 side of said trough dening a guide surface to guide either end of said element towards said supporting surfaces when said element is discharged from said chute, said guide surface cooperating with said second supporting surface to prevent said large end of said element to engage said first surface and to prevent sidewise movement of said small end of said element when said small end is supported by said rst surface, the upper member having projections positioned to cooperate with each other and with said surfaces of said lower member so that when said element is conveyed with the large end directed to said lower member one of said projections engages said small end of said element to prevent movement of said small end of said element in said predetermined direction when said large end of said element is supported by said second supporting surface, and, when said element is conveyed with the. small end directed to said lower member said one of said projections permits the large end of said element to move in said predetermined direction when said small end of said element is supported by said first supporting surface, the other of said projections being positioned to prevent movement of the large end of said element in a direction opposite to said predetermined direction when the small end of said element is supported by said lower member and to prevent movement of the small end of said element in a direction opposite to said predetermined direction when the large end of said element `is supported by said lower member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS 635,588 Pondorf Oct. 24, 1899 2,662,626 Graham et al. Dec. 15, 1953 2,748,914 Day June 5, 1956 

